AfriGeneas Genealogy and History Forum

Sharing Your Ancestry Tree

For many years I always felt it was best to keep a public limited Family Tree on Ancestry.com. They do so much advertising on TV and everybody thinks ALL of their information about their family is there. We all know the truth. Mine had been there since 2000 and I have had 1 cousin actually find me through it. All others found me through a google that led them back to Afrigeneas postings.
I want to tell all of u now who have Family Tree's that r Public..do not put everything out there. Leave something in your notes to be able to verify this person who says they r family, that u can trace and verify. Keep a a Family Tree Program OFF LINE in a Different Program.
I just had someone HIJACK part of my tree. She started out attaching to my grandfather. When I viewed her info and asked how we could be related, she said it wasn't to him but his wife. This was posted only under her married name no maiden name to him. This lady also said this lady was HER grgranma. Well I knew all of this was false. I am currently doing major research on my grgrandma under her maiden name. I KNOW oh so much.
Since the 1940 census has been out, I had not gone back and updated. As I was going through my grandfathers surnames..I couldn't find some of my peeps. This person had posted some names solely under her family tree name along with info I had found. Much of it was not accurate. I checked to see when and it was within the 2 day period we had connected. I immediately blocked her email address--she used 2 on Ancestry. I made my tree Private. I will still get the leafs.
If you have trees that have been up awhile and have not reviewed them since the 1940 census came out, check them now. I have no idea WHY people hijack a family tree, but we each need to keep our info as true and accurate as possible. Everybody do your own verification and homework. I also looked at her family tree--there is No One on it that is remotely related in any info I have ever traced for my Mississippi kin. Do Not understand this in the least.